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Winners of the 2017 Whistler Film Festival were announced at the Awards Celebration this morning on the final day of the 17th annual Festival. Ian Lagarde’s first feature All You Can Eat Buddha and Jason and Carlos Sanchez’s A Worthy Companion tied for the $15,000 cash prize presented by the Directors Guild of Canada, British Columbia and the $15,000 post-production prize sponsored by Encore Vancouver in the 14th edition of the coveted Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature Film. The jury states “each in their own way convey unique visions and creative storytelling the jury believes have made and will make powerful contributions to the world of cinema.”A Worthy Companion

A Worthy Companion takes a fresh and new perspective that explores the complexity and humanity within the predator, victim relationship. This film questions how we perpetuate manipulative power dynamics between adult and child through the inner struggle of our female protagonists.

This year’s New York Film Festival has just unveiled a slew of Special Events to round out its already full-to-bursting lineup, and it includes some late-breaking entries to previously announced sections and a selection of brand new events that are very special indeed. Highlights include a trio of documentary premieres, including Susan Lacy’s “Spielberg” (focused on the eponymous director, with both Lacy and her subject set to appear at the festival), along with Jennifer Lebeau’s Bob Dylan concert film “Trouble No More,” and Susan Froemke’s “The Opera House,” a history of the Metropolitan Opera and a love letter to the art form that will (appropriately enough) screen at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center.

Other standouts include four brand-new films from Claude Lanzmann, a sparkling new restoration of G.W. Pabst’s “Pandora’s Box.” Elsewhere, Kate Winslet will be on hand for a career-spanning chat...

The Chainsmokers and Drake dominated the nominations for the 2017 Billboard Music Awards with 22 nods each, including Top Artist. Twenty One Pilots earned 17 nominations when the announcement came on Monday, followed by Rihanna with 14, The Weeknd with 13 and Beyonce with 8. The show will be broadcast on ABC on May 21. Also Read: Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group Buys Spin, Vibe and Stereogum The nominees are based on album and digital songs sales, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement. These measurements are tracked year-round by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. Here are all of the nominees.

Billboard and dick clark productions announced today a mix of television, music and film stars slated to present on the “2015 Billboard Music Awards.” Presenters include 10-time Billboard Music Award winner 50 Cent, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson from ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” Laverne Cox, six-time Billboard Music Award winner Celine Dion, the cast of “Entourage” (Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Adrian Grenier), Taraji P. Henson, Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev, 2012 Billboard Music Award winner Ne-yo, 2015 Billboard Music Awards finalist Rita Ora and Ellen Pompeo. They join previously announced must-see musical performers Kelly Clarkson, Hozier, Nick Jonas, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Van Halen, along with special duet performances by “Empire” recording artists Jussie Smollett and Bryshere “Yazz” Gray with Estelle, Fall Out Boy featuring Wiz Khalifa, Little Big Town and Faith Hill, Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea and Meghan Trainor featuring John Legend. The “2015 Billboard Music Awards” will be hosted by...

Billboard and dick clark productions announced today that 14-time Billboard Music Award winner and global superstar Mariah Carey will perform on this year’s award show. She joins previously announced musical performers Kelly Clarkson, Hozier, Nick Jonas, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Van Halen, along with special duet performances by ‘Empire’ recording artists Jussie Smollett and Bryshere ‘Yazz’ Gray with Estelle, Fall Out Boy featuring Wiz Khalifa, Little Big Town and Faith Hill, Britney Spears and Iggy Azalea and Meghan Trainor featuring John Legend. The ‘2015 Billboard Music Awards’ will be hosted by Ludacris and Chrissy Teigen and broadcast Live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 17, on ABC from 8:00 Pm?11:00 Pm Et. Fun performer fact: · Not only does Mariah Carey boast the most Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s ? 18 ? of any solo artist in the chart’s 56-year history, she also has the longest-running No. 1 single in Hot 100 history,...

The music industry’s biggest stars will be honored at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. Among the 41 finalists — as Billboard described the nominees in its announcement Tuesday — Taylor Swift leads the charge with 14 nominations. Sam Smith follows with 13, Iggy Azalea has 11 and Meghan Trainor has nine. Also being honored are Ariana Grande, John Legend and Pharrell Williams. Billboard Music Awards finalists are based on album and digital song sales, radio airplay, streaming, touring and social-media interactions — measurements that are tracked year-round by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. Also Read: Ludacris and Chrissy Teigen to Host 2015 Billboard.

The American Music Awards -- one of the biggest fan-voted music awards shows -- has revealed its 2014 ballot. Iggy Azalea, John Legend, Katy Perry and Pharrell Williams lead the nominations, with the Aussie rapper picking six nods and the latter three sweeping up five. The Artist of the Year category -- predictably -- is the most cut-throat as it expands from five to 10 competing artists that include best-sellers like Azalea, Beyonce, Eminem and One Direction. Dick Clark Productions, who will stage the three-hour show on Nov. 23 show on ABC, announced the first of the performers, too: Charli Xcx is slated to play the show for the very first time. The nominees are determined by a number of factors, culled from data via Billboard, Nielsen SoundScan and Next Big Sound, like number of sales, radio plays, streams and socials. Votes are tallied from the AMAs site and through Twitter; read more...

For their new Ep, Nashville-based pop rock quintet The Nearly Deads drew inspiration from Max Brooks' (World War Z) original bestseller The Zombie Survival Guide, in both their promotional art and the music video for “Never Look Back,” which became a runaway YouTube hit a couple of Halloweens ago (watch it below and look for a quick appearance of the book). The clip gave a massive boost to the band, who would eventually pick up many more fans while touring (including a memorable performance on last year's Vans Warped Tour) and land a spot on Billboard's “Next Big Sound” chart. They recently cut a deal with Standby Records, and their debut full-length album – which follows their self-titled, self-released 2011 Ep – is currently in the works. In the meantime, The Nearly Deads Survival Guide offers another sweet sampling from a unique and energetic combo. The band members cite '90s-era indie...

• Ioda, the  leader in digital distribution, marketing and technology solutions for the independent music industry, has signed a global distribution deal with ABC Music, the music label of the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation).ABC Music releases a  range of children's, country, classical and contemporary music from  Australia's leading artists. The announcement was made at the Big Sound conference in Brisbane, Australia.The partnership provides global distribution for all ABC Music labels including ABC Jazz, ABC for Kids ...

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Tomb Raider and Lara Croft have have caused some bitter debates, and not just over the official cup size (Fyi, videogame Lara is a 36Dd, movie Lara is a 36D). It divided the opinions of viewers and gamers, both hardcore and tourists. Basically, with either, you loved it or hated it – there was very little middle ground. In terms of the movie, most critics leaned toward 'hate it'. Check out the critics' review quotes on the first Tomb Raider movie:

It might be easier to list the things that were good about Tomb Raider, but little comes to mind. – Joe Lozito, Big Picture, Big Sound

In the department of numbing ineptitude, the pacing runs a neck-and-neck race with the dialogue. – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

This just in: Women have breasts! – Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

With confirmation of the videogame reboot (due out from Crystal Dynamics for Christmas 2011), surely a movie...

Tomb Raider and Lara Croft have have caused some bitter debates, and not just over the official cup size (Fyi, video game Lara is a 36Dd, movie Lara is a 36D) . It divided the opinions of viewers and gamers, both hardcore and tourists. Basically, with either, you loved it or hated it – there was very little middle ground. In terms of the movie, most critics leaned toward 'hate it'. Check out the critic’s review quotes on the first Tomb Raider movie:

It might be easier to list the things that were good about Tomb Raider, but little comes to mind. – Joe Lozito, Big Picture, Big Sound

In the department of numbing ineptitude, the pacing runs a neck-and-neck race with the dialogue.- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

This just in: Women have breasts! – Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

With confirmation of the video game reboot (due out from Crystal Dynamics for...

Eminem, Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj round out the new tally's top 5.

By Jocelyn Vena

Rihanna

Photo: Evan Agostini/AP Photo

As if Rihanna and Justin Bieber needed another chart to conquer, Billboard has given them one. The magazine has just launched the Social 50 chart, which ranks the most active artists on the world's leading social-networking sites, and the two pop juggernauts have landed at the top of the tally.

Rihanna and Bieber place first and second on the list, respectively, followed by Eminem, Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj. Filling out the top 10 are the Black Eyed Peas (#6), Katy Perry (#7), Ke$ha (#8), Linkin Park (#9) and Shakira (#10). Other artists who made the list include Taylor Swift, Usher, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Paramore.

"We continue to adapt the way we chart the changing landscape of music," Billboard editorial director Bill Werde said about the new chart. "The Social 50 is yet another...

The increasing popularity of music on YouTube, Facebook, and other social network sites has spawned a brand new chart on Billboard debuting this week, the Social 50. Rihanna is the first artist to top the chart, followed closely by Justin Bieber.

Joining charts like the Billboard Hot 100, which currently factors online streaming into its rankings, the Social 50 chart tallies artist popularity using weekly song plays, artist page views, additions fans and followers, and more on sites like Facebook, Twitter, iLike, YouTube, and MySpace. Billboard will use the social music tracking service Next Big Sound.

Rihanna enters at #1 on the chart's debut week, followed by Justin Bieber at #2 and Eminem at #3. Lady Gaga is at #4, while Nicki Minaj, who just released her debut album, rounds out the top 5.

"The Social 50 provides a weekly snapshot of the artists that music fans engage with the most in the social arena, which in today's world...

Does Get Him to the Greek Suck? Billy Appleton here, again, as we head into our fifth weekend of summer. It's officially June, which means we should start seeing some worthwhile endevors...Right? This is the first weekend where we're not getting a sequel, a retread, or a reboot. Though we are getting a strange spin-off produced by Judd Apatow and starring Forgetting Sarah Marshall's Russell Brand as that film's infamous Aldous Snow. Get Him to the Greek sounds pleasant enough. It finds innocent youth Jonah Hill in charge of getting Snow's drug-fueled rock star persona to the Greek Theater in Los Angeles for a comeback showcase. Ah, how refreshing! A road trip comedy full of booze, bukaki, and bacchanalia. Wait, what's this? A strong emasculating emotional message about love, understanding of oneself, and putting your balls into your old lady's purse rests within the core of this mish-mash of penis and vomit jokes,...

With the hovering, all-encompassing 360-degree stage setup, otherwise known as "the Claw," U2 came to Chicago's Soldier Field Saturday night to kick off the North American leg of their current world tour -- the first time since 1997 they're performing in outdoor stadiums. As with everything U2 does, this show was big. Big stage. Big lights. Big sound. Big messages. But this show was played, for lack of a better term, in the round and, for as massive as it was, felt more intimate than your typical stadium concert. With the stage and its four-pronged tentacle-like structure set more toward the middle of the field, fans were able to get up-close-and-personal with the band. Speakers were installed into each structure to helped spread out the sound and massive lights beamed to every corner of Soldier Field, even up into the night...

TechStars, the mentoring startup incubator in Boulder, Co (and soon to be Boston as well) has launched its first original web series, The Founders, which will track three tech startup companies throughout the summer as they relocate to Boulder to take part in the highly selective program. The 14-episode series, which releases weekly, will follow startups The Next Big Sound, Everlater and ReTel through their founders (Alex White, David Hoffman, Samir Rayani, Natty Zola, Nate Abbott, Adam Rodnitzky, Scott Roberts and George Aspland). We caught up with TechStars founder Andrew Hyde and asked him what prompted the leap into web series producing. "We have always tried to tell the story of what we do in a better way," he told us. "The series is a continuation of the great CurrentTV piece that was done last year."...